01/19/2026
American Chestnuts have been considered functionally extinct for a while now which is extremely sad to us considering that they were spread throughout the East and Southeast prior to the introduction of the blight that wiped them out. Although, there are groups working on restoring them through things like GMO varieties (not super happy about that one), and natural breeding techniques. Some of this includes 100% American Chestnut trees, and some includes hybrids from other blight resistant varieties like the Chinese Chestnut which they then backcross to American Chestnuts.
This grove is at Lesesne State Park is pretty exciting to me. Especially since it's basically right across the road from our Dancing Bear Lodge.
The American Chestnut Foundation
I'd love to one day propagate some of these American legends on our property.
There is an old railway running through our property which we were told used to carry chestnut logs out of the forest.
Decades of conservation work have brought the functionally extinct tree back to public lands
